Numerous timers show elapsed time in a visual form. U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,479 discloses a timer which discloses a disk which moves in a clockwise direction to visualize the amount of time left from a sixty-minute period. Numerical indicia marks printed on a stationary face illustrate the sixty-minute period. A battery powers a control module which rotates an output shaft to which the disk is attached. The control module rotates the output shaft at an appropriate speed such that one full rotation of the output shaft equals one full rotation of the disk. As the disk rotates in the clockwise direction the visible portion of the disk decreases indicating to the user than a certain amount of time remains from the original time.
One of the limitations is that the output shaft rotates only at one speed such that a full rotation of the shaft equals sixty minutes or one hour. Consequently, the numerical indicial printed on the timer's display face are in increments which add up to sixty minutes. The timer is not suitable for displaying elapsed or remaining times greater than one hour. For example, the timer of U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,479 is not suitable for someone wishing to visualize how much time remains from an initial period of two hours. Additionally, the timer of U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,479 is not ideal for someone wishing to visualize how much time remains from an initial period of thirty minutes.
Therefore, there is a need for a visual timer having a control module which may be adjusted to rotate at different speeds.
There is further a need for a visual timer using a rotating disk which may display elapsed or remaining times greater than one hour.
There is further a need for a visual timer using a rotating disk which may display elapsed or remaining time and has a full display representing a period less than one hour.